


mystery mistress

by midnight_queery



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F, Reality TV, SuperCorp, and meeting lena luthor, anyway, as you can see i don't plan out my stories at all, bachelorette!lena, but at least this one has an ending point, cat grant playing cupid and not even knowing it, for now it's just kara going on the show's first season, i don't think i use tags right, i may up the rating later but we'll see, maybe her full name is known but she's a recluse to the media?, oh rao how many contestants are there usually, queer up people, so that's an improvement, supercorp au, supercorp bachelorette au but sapphic and undercover, thank you cat, who else should i pull in i wonder, who i guess isn't super infamous cuz she's undercover in this, why did a random tiktok video on tumblr have to be so amazing, yeah that works
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-18
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-13 22:07:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29533122
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/midnight_queery/pseuds/midnight_queery
Summary: Cat Grant gets Kara a place as a contestant on the newest reality show, Mystery Mistress, a spin-off of The Bachelorette with two little differences: the bachelorette is posing as a contestant and everyone is wlw (meaning a bunch of lesbians and bi ladies make up the contestant pool).Kara is there to write her article for Miss Grant and nothing else (she isn't really the greatest at romance-y things), and she doesn't even really expect to make it past the first round of eliminations. Plus she keeps disappearing to be Supergirl, much to the camera people's annoyance.Lena is there because she plans to take over LuthorCorp soon, and Sam and Jess insisted it would help her image once it was all over since no one really knows anything about the mysterious Lena Luthor except for her name and her family's sins.Neither expect anything much to happen, at least not until they meet each other. ;)
Relationships: Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor
Comments: 20
Kudos: 94





	1. romance doesn’t seem to be something I excel at

**Author's Note:**

> inspired by
> 
> [this post](https://midnight-queery.tumblr.com/post/643450501206327296)
> 
> this first chapter is short cuz it's a kind of intro. others will hopefully be around 3-5k cuz 10k chapters are killer and i don't know why my past self decided they were acceptable in other multichapter fics
> 
> anyway things will pick up next chapter, but here's The Beginning
> 
> enjoy! ^^

“I can’t believe you let Cat Grant talk you into this,” Alex says, leaning against the wall by Kara’s bed as she watches her sister pack. “You do realize how bad of an idea this is, right?”

Kara spares her sister a glance and goes back to neatly packing another button up into her suitcase. “It’ll be fine, Alex, relax.”

Alex just snorts and take a swig from the can of soda Kara had shoved at her when she’d asked (jokingly) if she had any beer. “Uh huh. You’re going to be living on the set of a reality tv show, where they ‘film 24/7 to catch all the juicy drama’ according to the last article you wrote, while still zipping off to be Supergirl. What could go wrong?”

Kara huffs out a breath and turns to her sister, hands on her hips. “Well what was I supposed to do, say no? Miss Grant already suspects I’m Supergirl, saying no to something like this would only confirm it!”

Narrowed eyes take in Kara’s defensive stance and Alex pushes off the wall and stalks closer. “Kara Zor-El Danvers, please tell me you aren’t actually looking forward to this? It’s _The Bachelor_ , for crying out loud!”

Kara purses her lips and looks dangerously close to pouting. “No it isn’t, Alex, it’s _Mystery Mistress_.”

“What the hell is that?”

Kara bites her lip and looks away. “It’s, um, kind of a spin-off of _The Bachelorette_ , I guess? This will be its first season.” She reaches up and fiddles with her glasses.

“Explain.” Alex’s tone holds no room for Kara to wriggle out of it.

“Um, so, well.” Kara gulps. “See, there’s a bachelorette, just like on the show, and she decides who goes home and who gets to stay. Only, she acts like she’s one of the contestants, so we won’t know who’s the bachelorette and who’s just another one of us. Hence the ‘mystery’ part of the title.” Kara shrugs one shoulder uncomfortably and fiddles with her glasses again.

Alex is quiet for a long while before she takes a deep breath, holds it for a worrying amount of time, and blows it out. “Are you telling me you’re going to be a contestant on the undercover, queer version of _The Bachelorette_ just to write an article about what it’s like on set?”

“Uh, yes?” Kara squeaks, eyes now studying the apparently fascinating details of her floor.

“Why would you agree to this?” Alex asks, throwing her hands up in the air. “What if some poor girl falls in love with you only to find out you’re straight and only there for the story?”

Kara looks up at that. “See, about that. I’m not, really, well, that. Straight, I mean,” she clarifies at Alex’s questioning look. “I like guys, yeah, but I also like women. And um, well, I guess I don’t really care about gender, actually?” Kara’s brow crinkles. “If I’m attracted to someone I don’t really care what pronouns they use.” Suddenly Kara’s eyes widen and she starts waving her hands around a bit frantically. “Oh Rao, that’s not to say that I won’t respect their pronouns and identity! It’s just not a factor in my, uh, feelings, I guess.” Kara goes silent, head bowed as she glances up nervously at her sister, waiting for her reaction.

“That’s… why didn’t you tell me?” Alex asks quietly, her voice soft with hurt.

“It never really came up, is all,” Kara mumbles. “Except for when you came out to me, and I didn’t want to, um, abscond with your lightning?” Kara frowns. “Steal your… spotlight? I just didn’t want to make it all about me. You were really freaking out and I figured you needed a supportive sister at the time, not another identity reveal.” Her mouth quirks to the side and her shoulders hunch. “I’m sorry.”

“Hey, no, it’s okay.” Alex moves forward and engulfs her in a hug, which Kara gratefully sinks into, her hearing instinctively focusing in on her sister’s familiar, calming heartbeat. “I do wish you’d told me sooner, but I get it, it’s okay, Kar. Thank you for telling me now.”

Kara mumbles something incomprehensible into Alex’s shoulder and cuddles closer, and they stay that way for several moments, both deep in thought and taking comfort from the other’s presence. Eventually Kara pulls away, eyes suspiciously wet but a genuine smile on her face. “Thanks, I needed that.”

“No problem.” Alex reaches out and ruffles her hair, something they both know Kara hates, but this time she doesn’t use her superspeed to dodge, just rolls her eyes and goes back to packing, not even bothering to smooth her messy hair down. Alex watches her silently for awhile, before asking, “So if you do find someone on this show, someone you actually like…?”

“I don’t think I will,” Kara answers the unfinished question with a dull quality to her voice. “Romance doesn’t seem to be something I excel at.”

“It’s not something anyone excels at, Kar. It’s okay to take a risk every once in awhile.” Alex’s voice is soft, gentle, and Kara sags.

“I know. But. It just never seems to work out for me, so why bother? Half the time I’m not even trying to be, like, romantic with people- just look at Winn and James.” Kara is glad she has her back to Alex so her sister can’t see the wetness gathering on her lashes at the thought of the men she’d thought were her friends before they’d up and left her behind without so much as looking back or sending messages once they’d realized she didn’t want to date them, one off to the future and the other back in his hometown. The only reason she knew anything at all about their lives now was because of Winn’s evil interdimensional time-travelling counterpart and Alex dating James’ sister Kelly. “I’m just going so I can write the article for Miss Grant. I probably won’t even make it past the first round anyhow.” Kara shoves the last button up shirt into her suitcase and zips it shut, wiping her eyes at superspeed before she turns around so Alex won’t notice the unshed tears. “Now, are you ready for sister night or what? I have like five tubs of ice cream in my freezer with our names on them!”

Alex gives her sister an appraising look but decides that maybe what Kara needs right now is exactly what she came here for in the first place- bad tv and sugary treats. “As long as you have a tub of Rocky Road for me, I’m game.”

Kara snorts. “Do you really think I would invite you over without having your favorite flavor? My neighbors still think I’m some kind of spy thanks to you shooting at me last time.”

“Okay I might have been a little dramatic that day,” Alex admits, a blush crawling up her neck as she clears her throat. “A spy though, really?”

Kara heads over to the fridge and throws a smirk over her shoulder. “I’m apparently way too nice to be a bad guy, though Mrs. Jenkins on the second floor is convinced I’m actually a bodybuilder whose day job is a librarian so I can workout by lifting boxes of books.”

“That’s oddly specific,” Alex drawls, flopping onto the couch and grabbing the remote.

Kara hums in agreement, two huge tubs of ice cream clutched to her chest with one arm and spoons and a hot pad (for Alex to hold her ice cream) in her free hand. “From what I can tell she’s some kind of writer. I think she’s about halfway through a book based on me at this point.”

Alex chokes on her next sip of soda. “Fucking hell, better hope she never finds out you-know-what.”

Kara just rolls her eyes and plops down beside her sister, handing her her Rocky Road and pulling a blanket over both their laps. “I don’t think she’ll notice. She likes fantasy more than reality. Or sci-fi, for that matter. Now, what’re we gonna watch tonight?”

Alex gives Kara a lazy grin. “How about _The Bachelorette_ , just so you get a sense of what to expect?” She nudges her sister lightly when she gets the groan and eyeroll she was hoping for. “And don’t think for a second that I won’t be glued to my tv screen whenever this _Mystery Mistress_ airs.” Alex sighs somewhat dreamily. “I need to have Brainy or Nia show me how to make gifs.”

“Aleeeeex.” Kara pouts at her but Alex just snickers and gleefully digs into her ice cream.


	2. samantha arias, what have you done?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is also hella short but it's more of an intro as well. next chapter will be the actual on set stuff
> 
> i have so many shenanigans planned >:]
> 
> also: i'll be loosely basing this on a wikipedia outline of the bachelor, so anything that diverges from that is either for the different format of the show or me messing it up because i've literally seen like 1.5-2 episodes last year when my roommate had it on  
> ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

“No.”

“Lena-”

“I said no, Sam. Why the hell would you even suggest that?” Lena bites out, giving Sam a look both women recognize from the board room despite the fact that the CEO is curled up on her CFO’s couch in an oversized sweater and yoga pants, hair down in soft waves instead of arranged in a severe ponytail or likewise-intimidating style.

Sam sighs and slouches back against the couch. “This is the best way for the public to get to form an opinion of you separate from your family name, babe.”

Lena just arches an eyebrow at her. “Well since you’re suddenly so concerned about PR I suggest you refrain from calling me babe in public, else _the public_ think you got your position because we’re fucking.”

Sam, sadly used to Lena’s antics and foul language by now, doesn’t even have the decency to sputter in embarrassment. She just rolls her eyes. “Been there, done that, let’s not rehash the past.”

“Done boarding-school-Lena, you mean,” Lena says, voice husky, and gives her friend a salacious grin. “I can assure you, I have improved a great deal since then. Practice makes perfect, after all.” She bites her lip and wriggles her eyebrows.

“I am so glad Ruby is at a sleepover right now.”

Lena just snorts and takes another mouthful of wine. “Please, she’s a teenager now, it’s not like she hasn’t heard it all before.”

Sam gives Lena a stern look. “Oh I’m sure she has, but not from _her_ friends, just mine.”

“At least I’m not whoring you out for PR.”

That, at least, gets a reaction. Sam’s eyes go wide and she sputters for a solid minute. “I can’t believe you just- Lena, what- Oh for- Lena Kieran Luthor, that’s not what this is and you know it! All you have to do is go and date a bunch of pretty ladies, how are you objecting to this?”

“Date them on television, you mean,” Lena says sulkily, taking another gulp of wine to hide her pout. “And then marry some random stranger at the end.”

“You don’t have to actually marry them, and if you do and end up divorcing soon after, well,” Sam shrugged. “Make sure they sign a prenup.”

Lena scowls at her friend for a long moment before her anger suddenly drains out of her and she burrows back into the couch, curling up tighter. “I don’t want to, Sam.” Her voice is small, vulnerable, and Sam immediately softens, both women remembering a certain dark-haired woman with even darker eyes who had broken Lena’s heart years before.

“I’m not asking you to actually feel something for any of them, babe. Just go on some dates, have some fun, maybe make some more friends since you seem so disheartened every time your crassness doesn’t surprise me.” That gets Lena to give her a small smile, at least, and Sam scooches over on the couch and wraps her arm around her. “And don’t go thinking I’m gonna just throw you to the wolves without running in right after you. We already got the producers to agree to let me pose as a contestant.”

Lena looks at her friend, eyes wide, but can’t help snuggling further into the half-embrace. “What about Ruby? And who’s going to run L-Corp?”

Sam cracks a grin. “Jess has assured me she can handle the company for awhile, and Ruby agreed to stay with her Aunt Jess, with a frankly insulting amount of excitement, I might add. Besides, I’m sure once you’ve gotten your feet under you, you won’t need me playing chaperone anymore and can eliminate me, sending me off from dating paradise and back to the boring corporate world that’s overflowing with privileged old white men.”

Both Sam and Lena scrunch their faces up at that before Lena sighs and deflates. “Do I have to?”

“Jess and I have consulted LuthorCorp’s, sorry, L-Corp’s, new PR person, and they agree that this will make your finally stepping into the public eye as the new CEO go much smoother. First impressions and all.”

“Ah, yes,” Lena drawls, a wry grin stealing over her face, “I’m sure the public would much rather the gay disaster from the newest audience-pandering tv show take the reins of a multibillion dollar company than the infamous terrorist’s bastard little sister.”

Sam slaps her arm lightly in rebuke. “I know you’re a pessimist, babe,” she ignores Lena’s mutter of _realist_ , “but wow. First of all, criticism of the show is at a record low for newly announced queer shows since some reporter quoted Supergirl saying she was excited to see it and loved the representation, and second, being that asshole’s sister is not all you are and you damn well know it. You’re Lena fucking Luthor, and you could totally take over the world all on your own.”

Lena actually giggles at that. “I’m fairly certain that’s what they’re afraid of, Sam.”

Sam groans, but Lena continues before she can say more than, “You know that’s not what I-”

“So everyone is afraid that if they show their homophobic colors, a pride-flag waving Super won’t save them, hmm?” Lena’s hum is positively devious. “If we weren’t doing this to make the transition smoother I would definitely do everything in my considerable power to get her on the show.”

Sam barks out a laugh. “Please, there’s no way a superhero has time to make reality tv.”

“You never know.” Lena is quiet for awhile, contemplative, before exhaling softly. “Fine, I’ll do it.”

“Yes! You’ll be the best mystery mistress ever!” Sam assures her enthusiastically.

“Won’t be too hard considering I’ll be the first,” Lena drawls. “Now, can we please order some takeout and not talk about this anymore?”

Sam pulls away and grabs the takeout menus and her phone. “Sure, oh but one more teensy little thing.” Her voice is higher than usual and a little too singsongy for Lena’s liking.

“Samantha Arias, what have you done?”

“The show starts filming tomorrow.”

The person who picks up the phone at the restaurant Sam calls asks, voice genuinely concerned, if the person they can hear groaning in the background is dying. Sam tells them she’s just a drama queen, but some good food with shut her up, and makes sure to order all of Lena’s favorites.

**Author's Note:**

> look at me starting yet another multichap fic instead of updating my other multichap fics or answering comments or working on my animation hw that's due in less than 24 hours. also i need to get up in like 3 hours for class so that'll be fun :)))
> 
> honestly though this just seemed so funny/cute that i felt compelled to begin writing it. oh rao imma hafta research the bachelorette for this huh :0  
> i've never seen the darn thing... eh there's probably a wikipedia page about the format
> 
> also: this story decided to be written in present tense so that should be,,, fun


End file.
